Skirt type pile driving point



Feb. 28, 1967 J. J. DOUGHERTY 3,306,054

SKIRT TYPE PILE DRIVING POINT Filed Aug. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JOHN J DOUGHERTY /7 T TORNEY Feb. 28, 196? J. .1. DOUGHERTY 3,306,054

SKIRT TYPE FILE DRIVING POINT Filed Aug. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L E I a /8 34 36 34 1-1111 r 36 I L I\ K 1 l 1 56 I k E I /6 \A u U 38 IFEVENTOR JOHN J DOUGHERTY QLMJW HTTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,3fifi54 Patented Feb. 28, 1937 3,306,054 SKIRT TYPE PiLE DRIVING POliNT John J. Daugherty, Cedar Grove, NJ. (262 Rutherford Blvd, Clifton, NJ. @7014) Filed Aug. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 391,677 2 Ciaiins. (Cl. 61-53) This invention relates to the art of piling and more particularly to driving points for closed-end piles, pipeshell composite piles and mandrel driven steel shells.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel socket and skirt type of pile driving point for use as a tip for piles which can be driven through layers of gravel and hardpan to rock or gravel boulder formations overlying rock. This point may also be used as shoes for wood piles to facilitate penetration of layers of coarse sand and gravel or of seating piles into them.

Pile driving is accomplished by means of power driven pile driving hammers of various weights and distances of drop with the pile usually held in leads to direct the hammer upon a driving head directly over the top of the pile.

Piles driven with points of ordinary construction cannot as a rule penetrate layers of hardpan or coarse sand overlying compressible material, or if penetrating, become bent or torn and result in rejected piles.

The present improved skirt type pile point will act as a cutter, penetrating heavy layers of dense material such as decomposed rock; and will either cut through boulders or push such material aside.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a skirt type pile point or tip embodying one form of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view as seen from the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, the point being shown seated within the end of a pile.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 shown partly in elevation, the pile being shown seated within the point.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the earth base or footing under the point.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a pile point embodying a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view as seen from the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a pile point embodying still another modified form of the invention on a smaller scale.

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view as seen from the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, in FIG. 1 there is shown a pile point embodying one form of the invention designated generally by the reference numeral 1%. The pile point 10 is preferably cast of steel but may be made of other suitable material such as cast iron or other metals or metal alloys. The body of the point 10 is circular in plan, with a lower depending portion or end 12 shaped as a hollow inverted circumferential cone, and with an upper integral portion in the form of an annular collar 14. The inner circumferential face of the collar is smooth, straight and continuous. The bottom half of the collar is enlarged and the outer circumferential face thereof is formed with an annular flange 16, the upper surface of which is level and constitutes a shoulder 18. The upper half of the outer circumferential face outwardly as indicated at 20.

In accordance with the present invention, a skirt 22 is formed integrally with the body and depends from the juncture of the collar 14 and conical lower portion 12. The lower free end edge of the skirt is tapered and sharpened to a knife edge 24. The skirt terminates short of the vertex 26 of the conical lower portion 12 so that said vertex 26 extends therebelow as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. Ribs 28 are cast between the upper ends of the conical lower portion 12 and the skirt 22 at spaced intervals therearound to strengthen the casting.

The upper tapered half of the collar 14 is made to fit inside of a pile or pipe 30 so that the pile can slide down the collar to the shoulder 18, and be somewhat wedged therein because of the taper of the collar. The shoulder 18 is wide enough to accommodate the thickness of the pile. The collar and the bottom of the pile may be welded together to insure that the collar will not become dislodged from the pile when it is driven into the ground.

The pile points 10 are made in various sizes corresponding to the various diameters and thicknesses of pipe ordinarily used for piles. The point 10 may also be adapted to the various makes and diameters of mandrel driven shells and to serve as shoes for wood piles.

While the conical lower portion 12 of the body is shown at an angle of about lesser angles can be used to about 60.

The inner portion of the driving point 10 is hollow to accommodate the end of a wood pile or to be filled with concrete together with pipe or shell pile to act as a unit and constitute an integral part of the foundation.

The modified form of driving pile point 10' shown in FIG. 4 differs from the point 10 of FIG. 1 merely in that the outer circumferential surface of the collar 14' is smooth and continuous whereas the bottom half of the collar is enlarged and the circumferential surface of the collar is formed with an inner shoulder 18'. The upper half of the said inner circumferential face above the shoulder 18' is smooth but tapers downward and inwardly as indicated at 20'. The upper tapered half of the collar 14' is made to fit outside the pipe 30 so that the pipe can slide down along the collar onto the shoulder 13'. The collar and bottom of the pipe may be welded together to prevent the collar from becoming dislodged when the pile is being driven into the ground.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, another modified form of pile driving point 10" is shown and differs from the form of driving point 10 of FIG. 1 merely in that a series of spaced lugs or fins 34 is cast or welded to the outer circumferential face of the skirt 22" and flange 16", the fins extending radially of the skirt and flange. The fins extend from a point above the lowermost edge of the skirt 22" to a point level with the shoulder 18". Four such fins are shown in spaced relation. The fins are substantially triangular in shape with the apex thereof blunted as indicated at'36, the lower side 38 constituting the cutting edge. Instead of being cast or moulded, the fins may be welded to the body of the point.

The modified form of pile driving point 10a shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 diifer from the driving point 10" of FIG. 6 merely in that another series of spaced lugs or fins 40 smaller than the fins 34a is cast, moulded or welded to the body of the point between adjacent fins 34a, the smaller fins 40 extending from a point midway the height of the skirt 22a to the level of the shoulder 18a. Four such small fins 40 are shown. The small fins serve as additional cutters.

The above described pile driving points will penetrate heavy layers of dense material, will either cut through boulders on the Way to hearing material or push such material aside; the point will not slide ofi sloping rock but embed itself into such rock, the point will seat the pile straight and plumb regardless of the shape of the bedrock; and the point will not be crushed by projecting rock.

If it is desired to form a bulbous base or footing for the pile, which is advisable in soft or loose soil or waterbearing sand, the soil is tamped by the point 10 for forming an accumulated bulbous mass 42 as shown in FIG. 5.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in details without departing from the principles of the invention and I desire to be limited only by the state of the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pile driving point for vertical downward penetration by successive power hammer blows, said point having a body circular in plan with a lower depending portion shaped as a hollow inverted circumferential cone and with an upper integral portion in the form of an annular collar, and a skirt depending from the junction of the collar and lower hollow cone, the extremity of the lower hollow cone extending below the lower edge of the skirt and having a blunt point, the lower edge of the skirt being sharpened, and an annular flange on the outer surface of the lower half of the collar, said flange having a level top surface forming a shoulder for seating the bottom end of a pipe, the upper outer surface of the collar above the shoulder being tapered, a series of spaced fins cast to the outer circumferential face of the skirt and flange, the fins extending from a point above the lowermost edge of the skirt to a point level with the shoulder, said fins being-substantially triangular in shape with the apex thereof blunted, the lower side constituting the cutting edge.

2. A pile driving point for vertical downward penetration by successive power hammer blows as defined in claim 1 characterized by a series of fins disposed between the first-named fins, said second-named fins extending from a point midway the height of the skirt to the level of the shoulder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1934 Atwell 61-53 7/1951 Cobi 6153 

1. A PILE DRIVING POINT FOR VERTICAL DOWNWARD PENETRATION BY SUCCESSIVE POWER HAMMER BLOWS, SAID POINT HAVING A BODY CIRCULAR IN PLAN WITH A LOWER DEPENDING PORTION SHAPED AS A HOLLOW INVERTED CIRCUMFERENTIAL CONE AND WITH AN UPPER INTEGRAL PORTION IN THE FORM OF AN ANNULAR COLLAR, AND A SKIRT DEPENDING FROM THE JUNCTION OF THE COLLAR AND LOWER HOLLOW CONE, THE EXTREMITY OF THE LOWER HOLLOW CONE EXTENDING BELOW THE LOWER EDGE OF THE SKIRT AND HAVING A BLUNT POINT, THE LOWER EDGE OF THE SKIRT BEING SHARPENED, AND AN ANNULAR FLANGE ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE LOWER HALF OF THE COLLAR, SAID FLANGE HAVING A LEVEL TOP SURFACE FORMING A SHOULDER FOR SEATING THE BOTTOM END OF A PIPE, THE UPPER OUTER SURFACE OF THE COLLAR ABOVE THE SHOULDER BEING TAPERED, A SERIES OF SPACED FINS CAST TO THE OUTER CIRCUMFERENTIAL FACE OF THE SKIRT AND FLANGE, THE FINS EXTENDING FROM A POINT ABOVE THE LOWERMOST EDGE OF THE SKIRT TO A POINT LEVEL WITH THE SHOULDER, SAID FINS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY TRIANGULAR IN SHAPE WITH THE APEX THEREOF BLUNTED, THE LOWER SIDE CONSTITUTING THE CUTTING EDGE. 